Automatic vending apparatus.



N0. 759,743. PATE-NTED MAY 10, 1904.

R.E.PAYNE.

AUTOMATIC VENDING APPARATUS.

rrmumron FILED 00T.6,,1902. asxnwnn no. a, 1903 N0 MODEL. 2 BHEIITfl-BHBET 1.

PATEN'I'ED MAY 10, 1904.

R. E. PAYNE. AUTOMATIC VENDING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED 00126, 1902. RENEWED DEG.3.1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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. ov /a L A attouwmo UNITED STATES Patented May 10, 190 1.

ROBERT E. PAYNE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC VENDING APPARATUS SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,743, dated. May 10, 1904.

Application filed October 6, 1902. Renewed December 3, 1903. Serial No. 183,665. (No model.)

To (DZ/Z whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. PAYNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Vending Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an automatic coincontrolled vending apparatus designed for the sale of chewing-gum, chocolate, or other goods put up in package or other form.

Theobject of the invention is to provide a vending apparatus which is simple of construction, compact in form, comparatively inexpensive of production, and provided with a number of novel and improved features whereby certain advantages are attained, all as will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the vending apparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse section through the lower portion of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical front to rear section through the complete machine on the line of the coin-reservoir. Fig. 4c is a similar section of the lower portion' of the machine through the goods compartment or magazine. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a front to rear section showing a modification in the means for controlling the feed of the goods. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on line 6 6 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detail view showing a further modification in the feed mechanism. Fig. 9 is a sectional view showing the use of a bottom coin-compartment.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the main frame or easing of the machine closed by front and back plates 2 and 3 and designed to be secured in any approved manner to a wall or other support. The back plate 3 is formed or provided with forwardly-extending vertical flanges 4, a, t, and 4c, forming a goods compartment or magazine 5, a coin-reservoir 6, and an intermediate space or chamber 7 for the reception of the means for controlling the feed of the goods. The coin-reservoir 6 is separated from the front plate 2 by a transverse partition 8, which is securedto the flangest and @and which is set back a short distance from the front edges of said flanges to form a vertical guideway 9 for the reception of the coins when inserted and for the feed of the same to the reservoir 6, which is in communication with the upper end of said guideway through a feed'opening 10, formed in the partition. A portion of the guideway 9 and a portion of the goods-magazine 5- are visible through observation-spaces l1 and 12, formed in the front plate, through which some of the deposited coins passing to the coin-reservoir and some of the goods contained in the magazine are brought to view. As shown in the drawings, the front plate is preferably composed of a bevel-edged plateglass mirror from which a portion of the reflectin g substance or backing has been removed to provide the observation-spaces11 and 12 and which has portions cut out to provide a coininsertion slot 13, and a slot 13, communicating with the guidcway 9, a delivery-opening 14L, communicating with the magazine 5, and an opening 15, communicating with the chamber 7 the latter-named opening serving for the reception of a sales indicator or register, hereinafter described. The edges of these openings may, if desired, be protected by suitable reinforces, (not shown,) which will, prevent them from becoming chipped or broken. By thus forming the front of the casing of a plate-glass mirror constructed as described the operating mechanism, with the exception of those parts designed to be exposed, is concealed from view and the machine is made ornamental in appearance and attracts interest and custom. A portion of the outer surface of this glass maybe utilized for the reception of tasty advertising or other matter in gold, silver, or other equally attractive work, which will add to instead of detracting from the ornamental appearance of the machine. Where metal or other opaque material is used to form the front plate, the observation-spaces will be formed by slots covered by glass or other transparent material, while if ordinary glass or other transparent material be used a coating of paint or any other opaque material will be applied thereto, except at the points for the observation-spaces, inorder to conceal the interior operating parts from general view. A coin chute or conductor 16 is applied to the front plate to guard and conduct the coins to the slot 13, and when the plate is made of glass is united thereto by a suitable indissoluble cement.

The goods to be vended, wrapped or put up in packages of any desired form, are placed in a vertical row or column in the compartment or magazine 5 and are fed one by one to the delivery-slot 14, which is of suflicient size to enable the thumb and forefinger of the customer to be part way inserted to remove one of the articles or packages released from the column. The column of goods is held suspended by a transversely-reciprocating plunger 17, movable in an opening 18 in the flange 1 and pivotally mounted upon the lower end of a lever 19, arranged in the chamber 7. This lever is intermediately pivoted upon a pin 20, fixed to the back plate 3, and is provided at its upper end with a detent pin or spur 21, which is movable to and from the goods-compartment through an opening 22, formed in the flange 4 above the said opening 18, so that a swinging movement of the lever in reverse directions on the pin 20 will alternately project and retract the plunger and detent. The flange 4: is cut away opposite the opening 22 to form a communicating space between the chamber 7 and guideway 9, and in this space operates a trip-plate 23, which normally projects into 'said guideway and. is formed by a flange projecting from the upper end of the lever, said flange having a lower inclined or cam edge 24, adapted to be acted upon by a coin to force said trip-plate back into the chamber 7, and thereby swing the lever to retract the plunger and project the detent. As shown in Fig. 2, the free end of a plate-spring 25 bears upon the upper end of the lever and holds the same normally diagonally of the chamber 7, with the plunger 17 projecting into the compartment 5 and supporting the column of goods and with the detent retracted in the chamber 7 and the trip-flange 23 extended into the guideway 9.

A coin of the proper denomination inserted in the chute 16 is conducted by gravity to the slot 13 and drops therethrough into the guideway 9 below the trip 23 and above a verticallyreciprocating coin-slide 25, operated by a handle 25", extending through the slot 13. This slide is provided upon the outer side of its center with a coin-pushing finger 26 and upon the inner side of its center with an inclined shoulder 27 and a right-angular shoulder 28. Cooperating with the lever 19 is a locking device 29, having a diagonal slot 30 to receive the pin 20 and a lateral arm 31, which projects into the guideway 9 below the trip 23. This locking device has a limited sliding and lateral motion on the pin 20 and is guided from interference with the plunger 17 by a lug 32, formed on the flange 1 The deposited coin is pushed upward into the guideway 9 past the trip 23 by the finger 26 upon an upward movement of the slide 25, and in such movement the coin first pushes aside the arm 31, thereby moving the locking device 29 upward and inward to the limit of the slot 30 and out of the path. of the plunger 17, so that the coin upon its further movement may then engage the inclined edge 24 of the trip 23 and force said trip inwardly to swing the lever 19 against the pressure of the spring to retract the plunger 16 and .project the detent 21, the upward movement of the slide 25 being limited by the contact of the shoulders 27 and 28 with the inclined shoulder 2 1 of the trip 23 and the arm 31 of the locking device 29, whereby the upward movement of the finger 261s just suflicient to force the coin past the trip 23. The simultaneous retraction of the plunger 17 and projection of the detent 21 in the manner described causes the plunger to move out of engagement with the lowermost package or piece of goods in the compartment 5 and the detent 21 to be forced into the package or piece of goods immediately above said lowermost package, whereby the latter is released and drops down to the bottom of compartment 5 in position to be withdrawn through the delivery-opening 14: while the column is held supported by the detent. Upon the movement of the coin past the trip 23 and release of the handle 25 the slide drops down and the lever 19 is restored to its normal position by the spring 25, thus returning the lever 19 to its normal position and retracting the detent and projecting the slide, which latter again supports the column of goods, and at the same time the trip 23 is moved back into the guideway 9 and strikes the arm 31 of the locking device 29, adapting the latter to drop by gravity to its normal position, whereby the parts are restored to their normal position and reset for further operation. The restoration of the locking device to its normal position prevents the movement of the parts, as before described, until a coin is-again inserted and the slide manipulated as before, as the locking device holds the plunger 17 against retraction and as upon the upward movement of the slide unaccompanied by a coin the shoulders 27 and 28 of the slide will abut the inclined shoulder 21 of the trip 23 and arm 31 of the locking device 29, whereby an upward movement of the slide and lateral movement of the trip and locking device sufliicient to swing the lever 19 to retract the plunger 17 is prevented. Hence it will be seen that the feed mechanism cannot be operated until a proper coin is inserted and then that but a single article or piece of goods can be obtained for such coin.

IIO

The bottom of the compartment 5 is provided with a wall or support 33,inclined upwardly to the bottom of the delivery-openingboth surfaces of a coin-guideway against which the sides of the coin contact are made of a width corresponding to the diameter of the coin great difficulty'is experienced inmaklng such surfaces true enoughto prevent one coin from inserting itself beneath the other and causing the coins to bind in the guideway, and this is particularly the case when old and worn coins are deposited. To

obviate-this difficulty, I reduce the width of at least one of said surfaces, which is accomplished in the present instance by providing the rear wall of the guideway with a projecting rib 35 of less width or transverse extent than the guideway, which rib may be dressed down to a truer surface than asurface of the full width of the guldeway, whereby the coins, whether old or new, are better held from tilting and jamming under all ordinary conditions prevented. r

A registering device is provided'for automatically indicating the number of sales made. This consists of a numbered dial 36, projecting through the opening 15, and a pointer 37, coacting therewith and suitably connected or geared to a stem 38, having a forked end engaging the free end of the spring 25, whereby each time the latter vibrates, which occurs upon the-makingof each sale, the pointerwill be moved around the dial the distanceof one number, whereby the amount of sales made between any given periods may be readily ascertained. "Any other suitable form of registering device and gearing may be employed in lieu of that shown.

The coins )assin u ward in the uidewa 9 feed therefrom through the slot 10 into the coin-reservoir 6, from which they may be removed upon opening a door 35 at the bottom of said reservoir, which door may be locked by any approved construction of locking means. If desired, I may provide a box or chamber 36, as shown in Fig. 9, into which the coins may feed from the reservoir, giving a greater capacity to the coin-receptacle, so as to render frequent collections unnecessary. This box or chamber may be provided with any approved type of door 37, and any desired type of locking mechanism may be employed to lock the door. The compartment 5 is filled through a top opening closed by a door 5*.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modification, in which the goods-compartment is disposed in rear of the coin-guideway and chamber for the feed mechanism and in which also the trip device is formed by curved spaced wings 23, which project into the coin-guideway through slots 23", formed in the back wall 3 of said guideway, such wings providing a greater extent of surface for the coin to act upon. The locking device is not shown in this embodiment of the invention, but may be used in connection therewith. In this construction I have also shown thelower detent 17 in form of a tooth or spur to stick into the goods, and this form of the detent in some cases is deemed preferable.

In Fig. 81 have shown a modified form of upper detent, which in this instance consists of a spring blade or finger 21, adapted to be projected between thelower package or piece of goods and the one immediately above it in the column 5 to support the column of goods when the plunger or lower detent is retracted and the lower package or piece of goods released.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be observed that the inclined edge 24: of the trip-plate 23 is of considerable length, and it is so made in order toadapt the coin to operate thereon until the detent-plunger 17 is fullyretracted, at which time the coin engages the straight outer edge 24 of the trip and holds the detent retracted for a further period before moving out of engagement with the trip. By this means the article of goods released by the plunger-detent is given ample time to drop before the detent is again projected tosupport the column.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of the invention will be readily understood and it will be seen that a simple and effective construction of automatic vending apparatus is provided.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described iny invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a coin-controlled vending apparatus, the combination of a casing having a goodscompartment adapted to hold a column of goods in package or other form, two dctents, one adapted to normally engage the bottom package to support the column and the other to engage the package next above when the first-named detent is retracted to release the bottom package, a trip device, a lever connected to said trip device and dctents, a looking device for holding the lever against movement, and a coin slide adapted to impart movement to the deposited coin, and first bring the same into engagement with the locking device to retract the same, and then into engagement with said trip device to swing the lever and operate said detents, substantially as described. a

2. In a coin-controlled vending apparatus, the combination of a casing having a goodscompartment, apivoted lever, two detents carried by said lever, one adapted to normally engage the bottom package to support the column and the other to engage the package next above to support the column when the first-named detent is retracted to release the bottom package, a trip device connected to said lever, a coinmoving member, and a lock device for normally holding the lever against movement and having a projection between the coin-moving device and trip device, whereby upon the operation of said coin-moving device the coin is first brought into engagement with the projection of the locking device to retract the same, and then into engagement with the trip device to swing the lever to operate the detents, substantially as described.

3. In a coin-controlled vending apparatus, the combination of a casing having a goodscompartment to hold a column of goods in package or similar form, two detents, one adapted to normally engage the bottom package to support the column, and the other to engage the package. next above to support the column when the first-named detent is retracted to release the bottom package, a lever connecting said detents, a trip devicecarried by said lever, a locking device below said trip device and adapted to normally hold the lever against movement, said locking device being movable vertically and laterally with relation to said lever, and having an operating projection, and means for first bringing a coin into engagement with the operating projection of the locking device and then into engagement with the trip device to first retract the locking device and then operate the detents.

.4:. In a coin-controlled vending apparatus, the combination of a casing having a goodscompartment for containing a suspended column of goods in package or similar form, two detents, one adapted to normally engage the bottom package to support the column, and the other to engage the package next above to support the column when the first-named detent is retracted to release the bottom package, a lever connecting the detents, a trip device connected to the lever, a locking device for normally holding the lever against movement, said lock device being adjustable in one direction by the engagement of a coin therewith to release the lever and adapted to return to its normal position by gravity and lock the lever, and a coin-moving member for bringing a deposited coin into position to first retract the locking device and then operate the trip device to swing the lever and move the detents, substantially as described.

5. In a coin-controlled vending apparatus, the combination of a casing having a goodscompartment, detents for controlling the discharge of the goods, a lever connecting said detents, a trip device connected to the lever and having a cam -surface and a plane surface, and a coin-moving member adapted to bring a coin first into contact with the cam-surface of the trip device to retract one detent and project the other, and then to bring the coin into contact with the plane surface of the trip device to prolong the period of retraction of the said retracted detent, substantially as described.

6. In a coin-controlled vending apparatus, a goods-compartment, detents controlling the discharge of the goods, a lever for alternately projecting and retracting said detents, a coinmoving member, a locking device normally holding the lever against movement and adapted to be operated by the moving coin to release the lever, and a trip device subsequently operated by the coin to move the lever to operate the detents, substantially as described.

7. In a coin-controlled vending apparatus, a goods-compartment, detents for controlling the discharge of the goods, a pivoted lever connected to the detents, a trip device for operating the lever, a slide for bringing the deposited coin into contact with the trip device to operate the lever, and a locking device having a diagonal slot receiving the pivot-pin of the lever and provided with a projection adapted to be engaged by the coin, prior to operation of the trip device,whereby the looking device is adapted to move Vertically and laterally in one direction to release the lever and to move in the reverse direction by gravity to lock the lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBT. E. PAYNE.

l/Vitnesses:

BENJ. G. CowL, H. B. WILLsoN. 

